Twelve policemen were suspended after a 26-year old dalit man died in police custody under suspicious circumstances in Kanpur on Thursday.

According to reports, the deceased, identified as Kamal Valmiki, a resident of Shiv Katra village, was found hanging under mysterious circumstances inside Ahirwan police station on Thursday afternoon.

Valmiki was picked up by police along with another man, Raju Mistri, on Wednesday in a case of loot.

The family members of the deceased filed an FIR against the station in charge and other police personnel for beating Kamal to death.

However, police claimed he had committed suicide and sent the body for postmortem.

“Twelve police personnel, including the station in charge Yogendra Singh, have been suspended and strict action will be taken against them if found guilty,” SSP, Mathura, Shalabh Mathur said.

The action against the policemen comes as the ruling Samajwadi Party government is facing flak from the BSP, Congress and BJP for the law and order situation in the state.

The members of Valmiki community also blocked the Kanpur-Lucknow highway and threw stones at the police station following which senior police officials reached there to control the situation. Meanwhile, Raju Mistri has been reported missing.

Dalits, who form 26 per cent of the state's electorate, are already protesting from last few week against the increasing instances of cow vigilantism across the country.

Last month, four Dalit youths were beaten up by cow vigilantes at Mota Samadhiyala village in Una taluka of Gir-Somnath district of Gujarat, sparking widespread protest across the country.